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A. R. T. WOODS.

SLEBPINQ BERTH.

No. 496,765. PatentedY May z, 189s.

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SLEEPINGBERTH. No. 496,765. Patented May 2, 1893*.

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No. 496,765. Patented May 2A, 1893.

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To all whom it may concern.-

'often experienced in getting in and out of it.

`plane of section.

UNITED STATES AlATluWr OFFICE.

ARTHUR R. T. VOODS, OF BLUNDELLSANDS, NEAR LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND.

SLEEPING-BERTH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 496,765, dated May 2, 1893.

Application tiled December 30, 1892. Serial No. 456,787. (No model.) Patented in England August 25, 1890, No. 13,324.

Be it known that I, ARTHUR ROBERT THOMAS WOODS, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, residing at Blundellsands, near Liverpool, in the county of Lancaster, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sleeping-Berths, (for which I have obtained Letters Patent in Great Britain, No. 13,324, bearing date of August 25, 1890,) of which the following is aspeciiication.

My present invention has reference to sleeping berths for use where space is valuable, as :for instance on board ship, or in railway carriages. Such berths are usually arranged in pairs, forming respectively upper and lower berths, and as the upper berth is necessarily at a considerable height, inconvenience is One of the objects of my invention is to modify the construction of the upper berth so as to obviate this inconvenience.

A further object is to adapt the berth to be folded up out of the way when not required, so as to economize space.

The accompanying drawings show an upper berth constructed according to myinvention, the corresponding lower berth being also shown in some of the figures to indicate their relative positions.

Figures I, II and III show the berth in normal position, Fig. I being a side elevation, Fig. IIa sectional elevation on the line A. A. of Fig. I, and Fig. III a plan, the upper mattress being removed and the spring mattress partially broken awayin the latter view. Figs. IV and V are views analogous to Figs. I and II, and show the berth in position for getting in or out, Fig.V being a sectional elevation on the line B. B. of Fig. IV. Fig. VI is a side elevation showing the berth prepared for being folded up out of the way, and Figs. VII and VIII show the berth folded up, Fig. VIII being a sectional elevation on the line C. C of Fig. VII.

Throughout the drawings similar parts are indicated by the same reference figures and, in case of sections, the directions in which they are viewed are indicated by the small arrows placed adjacent to the letters denoting the 1 is the upper and 2 is the lower berth; with the exception that the foot end of the latter is partially covered by the step 3, it may be of ordinary construction. p i y The berth 1 is made in two portions, ahead portion 4 about four feet long and a foot portion 5 about two feet long, the two portions being hinged together by the pivot shaft G. The foot portion 5 is" operated by the hand lever 7 by which it can be held in the horizontal position as shown in Figs. I, II and III, or swung down into the position shown in Figs. IV and V. The hand lever is held in either of its extreme positions by the lower and upper catches 8 and 8 respectively, into which it is sprung; each of these catches has a side guard 9 embracing the side of the hand lever, so that two distinct movements are required to release the latter,-one in the direction of its plane and one at right angles, and there is thus no likelihood of its being accidentally released or bent by an accidental lateral pull; the outer side guards 10 prevent the hand lever from being sprung too f ar in releasing it. The weight of the swinging portion is counterpoised by the spiral spring 11 (Fig. VII) which acts after the manner of the well known door spring; a balance weight on the hand lever will serve the same purpose, l but the spring is neater and lighter.

The frame of the berth is preferably made of steel or iron angles 12, and the upper mattress 13 is supported on the spring wire'mattress 14 in the head portion and on the cross laths 15 in the foot portion. The spring mattress is partially shown in Fig. III and is supported at the foot end by the metallic straps 16 encircling the pivot shaft 6, but it may be carried in any suitable manner. With the exception of the lower ticking, the mattress 13 is divided at the pivot so as to allow the foot portion to hinge downward as shown inY Fig. IV; of course it may be made in two detached parts if preferred. The head portion 4 is hinged to the bulkhead or side of the state room or the like bythe stronghinges 17 5 when 95 horizontal, its front edge is supported at the head end by the fixed stop 18 and at the foot end by the strut 19, pivoted on the fixed pivot 20 and having the cross pin 21 running in the slot 22 on the bottom of the berth.

ICO

The lee-board or side of the head portion of the berth is made in two parts, one ixed to the berth and the other movable. The fixed part consists of the rail 23 united to the frame of the berth by the castings 24, the rigid upright 25 and the catch 8; the movable part consists of the rail 26 linked to the berth frame by the links 27. This movable part is held in normal position, as shown in Figs. I and IV, by the pin 28 which engages with a suitable fastening fixed to the side of the room; it is further held by the short strut 29 which abuts against and laps over the stop 30 fixed on 26 (Fig. VI), and is held in engagement therewithby the pawl 3l.

The action is as follows:-Assuming that the berth is in the position shown in Fig. I, the foot portion is lowered to the position shown in Fig. IV, in which position it is easy with the aid of the steps 3 and 32 to enter or leave the berth, after which the foot portion. is returned to normal position. If it be dedesired to fold the berth up out of the way when not in use, the pin 28 is withdrawn, the

pawll 31 turned t0 release the strut 29 which claimed herein, the hinges 17, the strut 19 pivis turned horizontally and the movable rail 26 is then swung into the position shown in Fig. VI, which reduces the height of the leeboard to slightly more than that of the mattress, in which condition the berth can be swung up out of the Way, as shown in Figs.

l. In sleeping berths,-th e combination of a head portion, and a foot portion hinged to the said head portion, so as to be capable of being swung downward,the said foot portion n having a handle for operating and securing it in position, substantially as described.

2. In sleeping berths,-the combination of position, and the steps 3 and 32 for entering or 5o `leaving the berth, substantially as described.

3. In sleeping berths,-the combination of a head portion hinged to and carried by a rigid support, and a foot portion hinged to the said head portion, the said foot portion having a handle for operating and securing it in position,-substantially as described.

4. In sleeping berths, the combination of a head portion 4, a foot portion 5 pivoted thereto by a shaft 6, a handle 7 and catches 8 and 8 6o substantially as described and illustrated.

5. In combination with a sleeping berth, a

,V mattress 13 having a head portion and a foot portion united only by the lower ticking in the vicinity of the pivot shaft; substantially 65 as described and illustrated.

6. In combination with a sleeping berth as oted at20 and having the cross pin 2l running in the slot 22, and the folding lee-board con- 7o sisting of the rail 26 and pivoted links 27; substantially as described.

7. In combination, with a lower berth, an upper berth having one end thereof hinged to permit access thereto, substantially as de- -7 5 scribed.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set l my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ARTHUR R. T. WOODS. Witnesses:

RoB'r. A. SLOAN, J. E.` LLOYD BARNES,

Both of 26 OctstZeSt., Liverpool. 

